


And it's fair (For the soul to be excluded)

by jamtim



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Magic, Angst, Blood, M/M, Minor Injuries, Mythical Beings & Creatures, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Slow Burn, Spirits, Violence, World Travel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-22
Updated: 2017-07-06
Packaged: 2018-10-22 13:54:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 11,876
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10698393
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jamtim/pseuds/jamtim
Summary: Tadashi had stumbled (literally) into Keishin's home after his village was burnt and both his brothers were lost among the flames. A seven year reunion, but with some added company. It was overwhelming to say the least, but he thought he had finally found some peace in a world that seemed to be out to get him.But his spirit did not belong in the mortal realm, too powerful to be released but too weak to maintain a physical form, and it seemed the beings of the dark intended to chase and use him to wreak havoc. A cat and mouse game that could only end in bloodshed and heartache.





	1. Reunion

When the house came into view, Tadashi could barely feel relief over the exhaustion and ache striking up his side. It was dark, only a sliver of light on the horizon from the sun that had set long ago. Even then, it was barely noticeable with the irate clouds hanging low in the sky. Tadashi just wanted to sleep and be oblivious to his pain.

As he stumbled over the fence and made his way to the back door, everything began to grow hazy. His vision was swimming and the cause for coming here grew further and further out of reach. He still managed to turn the door and open it (his mind registered that that seemed strange, but didn't know why.) The light was blinding and he could barely make out anything in the room. It slowly faded and suddenly there were two figures in the room and why were they so tall.

Nothing made sense but one word stuck out in his brain so maybe the figures understood what it meant.

"Keishin" was all he managed to rasp. His vision was clearing but it was also fading around the edges. He called the name again and stumbled forward, hands flailing for purchase. They found something soft and suddenly one of the people were much closer.

"Keishin" he murmured before the ties to consciousness were cut and everything went black.

_

There was nothing noticeable to hear, yet that what was made him realise he was awake. The slight ringing in his ears that he never registered was suddenly very prominent and very real. His other senses soon followed and he blinked his eyes open. The what he determined was the ceiling was a faded white colour and very plain. He stared at it for a while trying to figure out what happened that he ended up here.

Ah yes, Keishin.

Everything came back to him like small jigsaw pieces he had been searching everywhere for. A few had fuzzy edges, yet it was still coherent.

Tadashi moved his arm, which felt like lead, to brush his side only to find it covered in gauze. Someone must have patched him up. And they did a good job of it, Tadashi considered, as there was no throbbing or twinge of pain. In fact, he almost felt numb.

Tired of the view of the ceiling, he tried to sit up. But when he went to move his arms, the door opened. He turned to face the intruder.

"Ah, I see you're awake" the man said. He had a mess of black hair with a round face framed by glasses. He was carrying a tray with a glass and a bowl of something as well as a small roll of gauze.

Tadashi continued to stare as he watched the man put the tray down on a nearby table. He picked up the glass of water and handed it to Tadashi, who quickly averted his gaze.

"Here, you must be thirsty."

Tadashi eyed it before hesitantly sitting up and grabbing the drink. He slowly sipped at it, grateful for the relief it gave his throat. The man took it when he finished, before asking whether he wants to eat or have him check his injury. His stomach rumbled in response which elicited a smile from the other. He passed him the bowl of soup, gently placing it in his lap along with a spoon.

While he was eating, the man introduced himself.

"Ah, I forgot to mention. My name is Takeda, I'm Keishin's husband." At that Yamaguchi stared wide eyed, before glancing away. Takeda continued on, "he hasn't mentioned much about you, he would rather leave that for you, so don't worry about what we know about you. Keishin wanted to wait for you to wake up."

Tadashi paused, finishing his soup before speaking. "How long have I been asleep for?"

"Three days" was the quick reply.

Tadashi quickly counted and realised it had been nearly five days since he escaped the village. He wondered what had happened to the other two before decided it was best not to think about that.

"Can- Can I speak to Keishin?"

"I'll rewrap your wound and then I'll get him."

Takeda took the cutlery away from him before beginning to work on unwrapping his gauze. Tadashi tried not to flinch each time he brushed against skin. He watched as his injury was slowly revealed and tried not to retch at the sight of it. It was a fine line from just below his naval reaching to the top right of his waist, yet the sides were stained an inky black and slightly bubbled. Takeda frowned at it, but said nothing as he wiped away the beading blood and wrapped it up again.

When he left the room, Tadashi let out a shaky breath. The wound provided little help in not reminding him of what transpired the past week. He was still mentally drained and everything was trying to take what little mental stability he had left.

The door clicked open and Tadashi couldn't help the small breath of relief escape him. Ukai Keishin stood there, half a tobacco stick hanging out his mouth.

"What the hell's happened to you?" Was the first thing he said after a near seven-year absence.

"A lot" Tadashi replied with, eyes becoming down turned. He watched as Keishin stepped in and closed the door, pulling up a chair. It was quiet before the older one spoke up.

"Where's the other two?"

"I don't know. We weren't exactly thinking when we were running."

"What about the village?"

Tadashi paused, trying to focus on the question and not the influx of past images that he so desperately tried to forget. He fisted at his eyes trying to get stop any tears escaping. It wasn't working. Keishin watched as he took a deep breath.

"No one believed us that they were actually there," he hiccupped, still holding his hands to his eyes. "They burned the whole v-village down and before they turned t-to us they f-found our families a-a-and-" he didn't finish the last sentence before Keishin understood what he meant and pulled him in with one hand and held him to his chest as sobs wracked through the other's body.

They stayed like that, Keishin letting his tobacco burn out while Tadashi released his pent-up sadness out. Nothing needed to be said, each other's presence being enough. It had been awhile since Tadashi was able to let emotions run free without it being criticised. Keishin had also missed having someone that reminded him of home, of the good memories, of someone to look after.

The sun was soon setting, Tadashi finally pulling away as his tears dried up. He marveled at the orange glow in the room, not realising how late he woke up.

"If you're still hungry, we're gonna have dinner in about half hour. You can come join us" Keishin offered.

"Us?" Tadashi questioned before realising. "Oh sorry, I forgot about Takeda. Congratulations on the marriage as well."

There was a slight blush on Keishin's cheek that Tadashi had never seen him do, and it made him smile just a little. "Thanks. But there're others here. I think you saw two of them when you first arrived?"

Tadashi tried to remember, but could only recall blurs. He nodded anyway, and considered his proposal. "Could I eat before? I don't think I can handle others right now..."

"Very well, I'll go get you some proper clothes."

Keishin left to grab a shirt, as Tadashi was only wearing the pants he had arrived in. He gradually slipped out of bed, wincing at the movement. His injury certainly hurt less than what it looked, but Tadashi suspected there was some numbing agent in the equation.

When Keishin returned, Tadashi was leaning heavily against the wall, struggling to walk. He rushed to steady him, handing him a loose shirt. Once Tadashi had been appropriately dressed, they made their way outside the room.

They entered a hallway, a couple more rooms down the left and stairs leading downwards to the right. The floors were a polished red oak, and the walls had branches twining through the cracks of the wood. Tadashi leaned heavily on Keishin as whatever morphine they used was not strong enough to numb the pain while walking. They reached the top of the stairs, an artificial light coming from below that seemed to flicker along the walls and railing of the staircase.

Step by step, Tadashi and Keishin made their way down. The house was quiet, only the soft footfalls of them going down breaking the silence.

Finally, they got to the bottom and stepped into the room that opened up in front of them. It was very noticeably the kitchen, with the table and chairs, a small stove and counter separating the room to create a divide. No one else was in there.

Keishin led Tadashi to the nearest chair, setting him down before moving towards the kitchen. "I'll get started now, the others might get back quicker than expected. It will probably be too overwhelming with the way they act when they come home" he explained himself, moving around and gathering food.

Tadashi was content to watch, before his eyes began to wander around the room and take in the little details. It was large, spacious but fairly empty. There were two entrances, the staircase they entered from and a doorway . Little ornaments decorated the room, but the basic furniture was what seemed to fill the space. There was a plant or two on the bench and in the corner and a tapestry on the wall, the only splash of colour that stood out among the brown.

Keishin placed a plate of meat and some kind of root vegetables in front of Tadashi. He smiled as thanks, and began to eat. He was hungry, but the food seemed to make him feel slightly queasy. He reasoned it was because it had been nearly three days without food.

Keishin sat by him, pulling out another tobacco stick and lighting it. He stared off in the distance, thinking about incomprehensible things.

Once Tadashi finished, and Keishin took his plate away, the door slammed opened. Tadashi jumped and stared at the entrance. Then the yelling started.

Keishin paused, murmuring a faint "they came home quicker than I thoguht."

Someone was not happy.


	2. Meetings

"I told you, Shittykawa, not to do anything stupid at the goddamn chief! And what do you go and do? Be petty and insult him. Real smart."

"He was the one that insulted me. It wasn't my fault that I was just relaying the message we were delivering. Get angry at them not me. It wasn't even worded properly." As he continued to speak, his eyes scanned the room and had noticed the other occupant, words faltering at the end.

Tadashi just watched, body tense but curious, as they walked in. One had an angry scowl, brows furrowed, while the other held his head high as he whined.

The angry one seemed to either not see or just ignored Tadashi, going straight to the kitchen. The other, 'Shittykawa' as the other had christened him, met Tadashi's eyes. He stared, curious and slightly terrifying.

Tadashi had to look away.

"Well, it seems you have finally awoken" he remarked, drawling his words.

"Tooru, leave him alone" Keishin spoke up. He came back out and glanced at Tadashi before returning his gaze to Tooru. "How did it go?"

"We did it."

"Not without you angering the chief and nearly being arrested." The other returned as well. He finally faced Tadashi, little surprise on his face. "Iwaizumi Hajime, that's Oikawa. You don't really need to concern yourself with him" Hajime introduced himself to Tadashi.

Tadashi just barely nodded before Hajime had diverted his attention. The other three continued to talk about whatever the newcomers had done, talking intensively. Their dynamics seemed to mesh, the bond of many years evident between Hajime and Tooru and a sense of familiarity mutual between the three. 

Keishin was right. It was overwhelming.

"Enough about work, I want to know about this one." Tooru smiled, no grinned, down at Tadashi, breaking off their conversation. He came and sat down on the chair nearest the other, only the table corner separating them. "So, tell me your name, age and how you know Ukai-san here."

"This is what I told you before, don't need to answer anything from him."

"So mean, why can't I just get to know him a little better-"

"Tadashi" he whispered. He looked up and repeated it, louder but no less hesitant.

"Well, Tada-chan, it's a pleasure to meet you. So, where did you come from?"

Tadashi glanced into Tooru's eyes before he looked away and at the wall behind him and answered. "I lived up in the mountains, behind the plateau."

At this Tooru frowned, as did Hajime behind him. Tadashi looked back at them properly when they hadn't responded. He tilted his head curiously when they mulled over his words. Eventually, Tooru smiled and clapped his hands.

"Oh, so you were a nomadic tribe!" He exclaimed, voice sharp with exaggerated glee.

It was Tadashi's turn to frown. "No, we had a permanent village up there, existing for at least a few decades . We weren't nomads."

Before anyone could answer, the door slammed opened once again. Two tall men strode in, panting and looking slightly debauched, juxtaposing each other with their pale and dark skins, light and dark hair. Yin and yang.

"Shit!" Was the first thing the darker man cried. "They beat us again! I told you we should have skipped the ceremony." He pulled at his (unruly) hair while blocking the doorway.

"Only you considered it a competition." The other shouldered past him, finding his distress somewhat amusing. As he entered the room, he finally took notice of the group that had gathered. "Oh, it seems to be a party in here."

"I hope you didn't actually skip the ceremony and got your work done." Keishin finally spoke up.

"I made sure Tetsurou got the best seats."

The aforementioned seemed to have finally recovered from his breakdown, and took a seat next to Tooru. "Kei thought it was funny to put me next to the lady who couldn't shut her mouth. She made me miss like, half of whatever they were talking about" he further explained unhappily.

Tadashi began to scratch at his wrist, as the room populated. It was... interesting to say the least, how everyone acted towards each other. Thankfully, attention had been drawn away from him. But now he sat awkwardly in a chair, eavesdropping on conversations he had no context to.

Trying to twist his body on the chair just reminded him of how incapacitated he was right then. The twinge in his stomach a constant reminder of how alienated he was to everyone here. Despite that, he was determined to get out of the room. He glanced at Keishin, but he was in a somewhat in-depth conversation with Tetsurou, while the other three had a separate conversation that seemed to be passive threats thrown back and forth.

Tadashi figured speaking up would just draw everyone's attention to him.

Mustering up his strength, he lifted himself out of the chair. There was an underlying ache but nothing he couldn't deal with. Then he eased his weight off the chair and stepped forward.

A shock wracked his lower body as his wound complained and his leg collapsed causing him to fall.

Right into a pair of waiting arms.

He let out a quiet yelp, a soft buzz under his skin, and he snapped his gaze to his saviour. Sharp brown eyes stared back.

"Looks like you fell for me twice" Tooru purred. It was accompanied with a wink.

Tadashi paused before a soft blush filled his cheeks. His mouth opened than closed. Everyone around them had gone silent and were watching them, just like he had feared. All too quickly the silence snapped and Tadashi pushed Tooru away, landing back on the chair. His stomach hissed in pain but he didn't care, couldn't process it over the screaming of his skin.

Tooru blinked twice before he opened his mouth to speak. But he never got the chance to.

"I'll take you up to your room" Keishin broke the silence, pushing off the counter and gently grabbing Tadashi. Tooru stepped back to give them some room, and Tadashi was lifted to his feet. He focused on walking, placing one in front of the other, ignoring the buzz on his skin that faintly simmered down once Keishin had grabbed him.

The silence was unnerving, Tadashi desperately trying to ignore it as he worked his way up the stairs. Only once he reached the second floor did a soft murmur start up.

They finally reached what was now his room, and Keishin gently placed Tadashi back in the bed. As he pulled back, the younger one whispered an apology. He got a shake of the head in reply.

"I didn't realise they'd be back so soon, I should be the one apologising. They have a habit of trying to get back as fast as they can, some stupid competition."

"What do they actually do, Keishin?"

"Messages, carriers, parcels. They're like delivery boys, except more of the underworld type."

Tadashi hummed, mulling over his words. A faint smile grew on his lip. "You seem to have really settled in here. I'm glad."

"Well, it has been seven years, of course things are going to change. Heck, you've changed as well, growing up and all. You're bout the same size as me" he huffed a laugh, studying Tadashi's face. "I'm sure with time, you can settle as well. For now, sleep, the morning always brings fresh starts." With that, Keishin stood, running a gentle hand through Tadashi's hair. He left the room.

Tadashi brushed his own hand through his hair, before laying down on the bed. He had already slept for nearly three days yet his eyelids grow heavier with each passing moment. As he drifted to sleep, his last thought was wondering whether they had enough time left.

-

Keishin arrived back into the kitchen, pulling out another tobacco stick. He absentmindedly noted he would have to go out to get some more. Suddenly, he could feel pressing eyes on him. When he glanced up, he saw all of them sitting, with only Hajime having the decency to look away. "What is it?" He sighed.

"That Tada-chan, he seemed..." Tooru paused, more for exaggeration than actual contemplation. "Interesting" he eventually ended with.

Keishin joined them at the table, taking a drag of his stick. "He had only just woken up, what do you expect. You lot come barging in, making a racket. Not everyone can handle all four of you at once. That wasn't a compliment" he added on when he caught Tetsurou's grin. "Tadashi isn't used to interaction, let alone skin contact."

"But he allowed you to touch him."

"That's cause he knows me. To him, you're all strangers."

From somewhere past the door, there was a call for Keishin. "Anyway, go eat, you've just come back. I'll go see what Takeda wants." Chairs scratched across the floorboards as they all got up and went to the kitchen. Just before Keishin left the room, a hand clapped around his shoulder. He turned to see Hajime staring at him.

"What did Tadashi mean earlier, that there was a village up in the mountains? Isn't it too treacherous to live up there? Is that why he isn't used to being around others?" Hajime questioned. It had seemed to be on his mind with how quick he had asked.

"No, he's right. There was, but it's been burnt down." Hajime's eyes seem to widen at that. "There's a lot going on around us, things we can't see, can't touch, can't even fathom. Just like people didn't believe in you, there are things that you don't believe in that are real." With that, Keishin left and let Hajime ponder over his words.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part 2 done!
> 
> I had to redo some parts since apparently my last edit hadn't saved... that was not fun <(￣ ﹌ ￣)>  
> But I hope you enjoy the new characters, Oikawa and Kuroo are always fun to write. I promise Tsukishima will be more *there* in the next chapter, instead of just two lines.   
> Anyway, thank you for continuing to read this story! The comments made me happy!
> 
> Kudos and comments appreciated, next part might come earlier. I'll have to pick one day as Update Day™ seeing as nearly everyone with a regular schedule updates on Saturdays (*°▽°*)


	3. Watch and Learn

Tadashi woke to a cold sweat, heaving for breath. A nightmare had plagued his sleep, disfigured memories and wailing voices still echoing in his mind. He gripped the sheets, focusing on breathing in and out. Gradually, his heart slowed, and he could take in even breaths.

The room was filled with faint light. Through the window, the sky was filled with a streak of orange, growing brighter by the minute. Without the mountains in the distance, Tadashi was sure he would be able to see the sun.

He laid down, certain he wouldn't be able to fall asleep. Adrenaline still coursed through his veins and his eyes couldn't keep shut for more than a few seconds. Visions still played in the backs of his eyelids and a low hum in his ears. He didn’t want to think about it.

Instead, he found his eyes studying the room. Just like the dining room, it had the basic furniture. Bed, chest of drawers, side table, and a desk. There was a plant in the corner, green with new buds. It was quite obviously a spare room.

On the side table sat a glass of water, a small red berry by it. Tadashi sat, and inspected the fruit. Noticing the yellow bubble at the top, he realised it was what they used to eat to numb injuries. He popped it in his mouth and took a sip of water as the sharp acidic taste hit his tongue.

A light hit his eyes. Outside, the sun had risen high enough to appear between the mountains. It was different, seeing the sun from this angle. He was so used to waking early and seeing it from within in the mountains, yet now he was seeing it amongst the mountains.

Tadashi was a morning person. He wanted to breathe in crisp air while the sun began to warm the ground. Dewy grass under his feet and a slight wind making it shimmer. Feel the warmth begin to seep into the world. It was like a ritual, the way he would always wake just past sunrise and spend a few minutes just watching the sky change colours. 

He moved to let his feet rest on the floorboards. No pain. Standing up, leaning on to the side table, he took a step forward. There was only the slightest twinge.

He would have to thank whoever gave the fruit to him.

Making his way out the room, he peeped down the hallway. The only sound was the house creaking. He continued down the hall, and then down the stairs. There, with each step down, pricks of pain lit his stomach. Still, he continued down. Through the dining room and out the doorway. Another hallway, with two intersecting rooms.

The first room had a closed door (Tadashi didn't bother trying to open it, felt it was too intrusive to snoop around the house when no one was awake) but the next was not a room at all. It was a mesh door leading to outside. He softly smiled, and made his way outside.

It was liberating, finally stepping outside. Despite there being a fence surrounding the backyard, fresh air filled his lungs and it was no longer sandpapered wood but grass under his feet. To his left there was a bench against the wall, just by a garden with various plants sprouting, and to his right there were what seemed to be three dummies and a shed. The fence was nothing more than stumps of wood connected with four rows of thick rope. It left the nearby mountains and scenery in plain sight.

Tadashi sat down on the bench. He breathed in the sight, closing his eyes as he exhaled. Slowly, he focused on the simple things surrounding him.

Some time passed, before he heard the door opening. Tadashi waited for the tell-tale smell of smoke that it was Keishin next to him, but it never came. He opened his eyes and found that it wasn't him. Instead, it was the tall blonde one, Kei.

He stood there, staring just past Tadashi. Tadashi turned to look at what he was eyeing but could only see the garden and fence.

"Wha-"

"They've grown." Kei interrupted. Tadashi glanced back to the garden and noticed that, yes the plants had grown since he came out here. He turned back to Kei, eyes slightly wide, but found that he wasn't being accused, or even spoken to. Instead it was more of a simple observation he was making to himself.

Kei finally moved, brushing past Tadashi and kneeling down to peer closer at the plants. "They prefer to bud during autumn, not summer" he murmured to himself.

Tadashi watched, fascinated, as Kei tended to the plants, inspecting them and getting rid of any dead leaves. "Are you the one who manages the gardens?" Tadashi tentatively asks.

Kei didn't respond until he finished ministering the plants. He stood up and turned to look towards Tadashi, face unreadable. "Sometimes. Just depends on the season." 

Tadashi nodded. He looked away and stared back at the mountain range. Then Kei came to sit down next to him.

At first, Tadashi began to feel panic well up. All he could imagine was a recurrence of last night, and realising that Keishin wasn't nearby. But some part of his subconscious discerned the fact that Kei wasn't moving or trying to interact with him in anyway, he was just sitting there. With that thought in mind, the panic subsided and he allowed himself to close his eyes.

"Ah. You are the one who made the plants to grow."

Tadashi's eyes snapped open. 

"Maybe we can finally have more strawberries. Tooru keeps stealing them, that damn thief."

"You don't care?" Tadashi blurted out. 

"About what?" Kei stared at him.

"That I can do," he paused, thinking carefully of his words, "that?" He eloquently decided on.

He got a shrug in response. From somewhere inside, something metallic fell. Kei sighed before rising and walking back inside. Before he opened the door, he said "You aren't the only one to have powers in this house. Just make sure you don't glow around people you don't want to see." With that, he went back inside.

-

Over the next few days, Tadashi began to feel somewhat familiar in the house. During most hours of the day, there was some kind of noise sounding. Whether it was shouting, laughing, clattering of cutlery, solid thuds of weapons and sticks against the dummies, teasing, something breaking, it was happening.

Tadashi came to like it. Back before, in his family home, it was often quiet with only the sounds of nature and his brothers to keep him company. An isolated place but it was what he was used to. Now, he thinks he could get used to this.

The other occupants of the house had also grown on him. At first, they ignored him, interaction minimal, but it was only until Tooru commented his shirt, did they start to include him.

"Please tell me that is not your top" Tooru suddenly said as he entered the room.

"Why?"

Tadashi stared at a face of disgust.

"It is probably one of the worst tops I've ever seen. Who would even make something like that, let alone buy it?"

Tadashi stared down at his top, tugging at it. It wasn't too bad. Sure, the colour was slightly off and there was a small hole or two near the collar but it wasn't anything to make a fuss of. He figured he was just trying to get a rise out of him, something he noticed Tooru often did.

"I'll stop borrowing your clothes then."

Tooru stood there catching flies for a good minute as Hajime snorted.

Sometimes, Tadashi would help out with Takeda with preparing meals. It was something to do to fill the day as he still couldn't do excessive exercise with his injury. It was slowly healing, no longer bleeding and reduced to a minimal ache.

Other times, it would be sitting outside when the house would get too stuffy. He would watch the others train or tend to the garden.

After his talk with Kei, he recognised the times when someone would use their powers. After three days he had deduced everyone's abnormality.

Tooru seemed to be telekinetic, using it to get stuff when he was too lazy to stand up and get it himself or when he needed to carry too many things in two hands. Tadashi did a double take when he saw three plates trailing after him.

Tetsurou could ignite flames, though sometimes it seemed almost spontaneous or sudden. Tadashi guessed it sometimes happened to be influenced by his emotions, especially when he was pissed.

Hajime didn't have a power, more like a transformation. Tadashi hasn't seen it in person, but Hajime was a werewolf. This was only revealed by an offhand comment at the table and Hajime noticed Tadashi’s confused face.

Kei was the hardest to figure out as he didn't seem to use it very often. He could control the currents of the air. Tadashi didn't know how strong his power was but he knew that he could at least slice a block of wood. He often used it to warn the others (mainly Tetsurou) by catching the tip of his nose. Tetsurou often continued on the taunting without a worry. 

By the fifth day, Tadashi was getting antsy, having been limited to the house. Keishin seemed to notice it, so he sent him with two others to the market.

“Go with Hajime and Kei, they’re getting some supplies. Your scar won’t hurt too much?”

Tadashi shook his head, glad he was finally getting out the house. 

The market wasn’t far, just a ten minute walk down the animal made trail. It was quiet as they walked, the sun beating down on them despite being early morning. 

As they grew closer, and left the forest to travel on the main road, they began to see other people. Travellers and vagabonds alike traversed beside them, whether by cart or foot. It seemed to be a common idea that showing your face was not a good idea. The three of them followed this trend.

Once they entered the village, Tadashi had to remember what they came for specifically otherwise he would have been lost in the hustle and bustle. It was quite packed, the morning markets a once a week occurrence. There were people of all ages and types, shouting and crying just to be heard.

Tadashi followed behind Kei, thankful that his height was easily distinguishable amongst the heavy crowd. Hajime was difficult as he was part of the average height group.

"You go with Kei, he'll show you the main food stalls. Maybe you can choose the better quality produce" Hajime explained as they stopped on the side of the street. The two nodded and Hajime reciprocated before stepping and disappearing amongst the throng of people.

"Follow me, make sure to not get lost" Kei reiterated before stalking off.

The first stall they came to was the bread one. The lady seemed to recognise Kei, giving something resembling a smile towards him before handing him the loaf.

Tadashi watched as Kei bartered with the next two stalls. It was fascinating to see how adamant he was with his price. At one point, it seemed the elderly lady would refuse even selling them the spice, before she finally conceded.

Kei passed the jar to Tadashi, since his hands were full, and continued on his way towards the final item on his list.

Once he received it, three coins cheaper than what was being asked, he turned once again to face Tadashi.

He was met with a moving crowd. Glancing around, everyone seemed to be dressed in similar styles of all shapes and sizes, but there were only a few with hoods on. And they just continued walking past.

Kei swallowed, not minding that he was just pushed out the way of the stall.

Tadashi was missing since who knows when. In a foreign place. With no idea of where anyone was.

He was officially lost.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay, busy week with testing!  
> Hope you don't mind the slightly uneventful chapter, next one might have something new...( ‾́ ◡ ‾́ )  
> I think Monday/Tuesday will be my Regular Updating Day™  
> Next chapter will hopefully be on schedule.  
> Until next time, bye!


	4. Disappearance

It was as Tadashi was following Kei, carrying that jar of spice that smelled similar to burning wood and memories of home, did he feel the sharp yank on his body.

-

Kei waded through the crowd, desperately searching for Tadashi. It would be futile, if he even thought about it for a second, with the amount of people that passed by in a minute, but panic was settling in rapidly. Over the heads of many, he continued to search, making sure to examine each face.

He traversed through streets, alleys that Tadashi would never have gone in, streets that were barren, so different to the rest of the town that they could be their own ghost town. Somehow, in the midst of this flurry, he managed to keep all items he was carrying. It was the only thing going right so far.

Finally, he found a familiar face. The downside was that it wasn't Tadashi.

"Ah, Kei!" Iwaizumi called, holding a clothed bundle over his shoulder.

The aforementioned turned to him with wide eyes. "Have you seen Tadashi?"

Hajime paused, processing his words. A worried look soon settled across his face and his hands gripped the bundle tighter. "What do you mean? Did you lose him?"

Kei hesitated. The tiny reprimand hiding under his words was almost enough to shake his head and tell him to forget it. But he pushed that feeling away and continued on. "He was right behind me but then I turned around and –"

"I'll help you look for him" Hajime interrupted, quickly understanding the situation. Kei released a sigh of (small) relief. 

So, the two of them continued on the hunt. This time with the aid of Hajime's keener sense of smell.

-

The tug made Tadashi pause. It wasn't a physical pull (but it definitely felt like one), it was more of the subconscious-is-telling-you-something pull. Tadashi stopped and glanced around, trying to find the source of it. It jerked again, more to the right this time, so Tadashi followed it blindly. He pushed past everyone and continued down the street.

It led him through many streets, taking him to a side road that lead to one of the edges of the village. The force grew stronger each time, dulling all other senses.  
It was on the road directly leading out the village did Tadashi ultimately found the source of the power. There was a cart, one used for shipping supplies between towns, crates stacked upon it. On the edge, was a figure, hunched over, face covered.

Tadashi watched before the figure's head snapped up towards him.

Tadashi choked out a gasp, found his eyes watering as he struggled to breathe.

-

Hajime was the first to spot Tadashi. He gripped onto Kei before he went the wrong way and pointed to where Tadashi was curled up on the back of a cart, facing away from them. The two of them rushed towards him, relief spreading throughout them. Kei called out his name and as his face lifted, the relief quickly fizzled out. For Tadashi's face was streaked with tears, eyes and cheeks puffy and red. He hiccupped a sob.

Kei was on the brink of asking what was wrong before a head raised just by Tadashi's shoulder. Kei stuttered to a stop in the middle of the road, Hajime just beside him. The head blinked at them, eyes behind a curtain of black hair slightly less puffy, but still noticeable that they had been crying.

It seemed explanations had to wait as a door slammed and an angry voice called out, "GET OFF MY CART, YOU BLOODY THIEVES!" At the shout, everyone startled and began to run. Their bodies moved faster once they noticed the cleaver he was swinging around.

The four ran onto the next street, curses still being called, and the next, until the shouting had ceased. Three out of four paused to catch their breath. Once they had, Hajime began the interrogation.

"Who's this?" It wasn’t an accusation, but still a demand.

The stranger seemed to shrink on himself and huddle closer towards Tadashi. Through a hiccup, Tadashi managed to speak. "Brother."

Confused looks crossed both of Kei's and Hajime's faces. "You have a brother?" Kei blurted out before he could realise. Tadashi only responded with a nod.

"What's your name?" Hajime asked.

Large eyes flickered to him. He seemed to be surprised at being addressed to. A pause before he responded. "Kenma."

Hajime nodded, as if that was all that he need to be satisfied. "Alright. I presume you will be coming back with us. We have all we need and it's getting closer to mid-day so we should head back ‘round now." He spun on his heel and began walking to the edge of the town. After a few moments, the other three followed him, Kei a little later than the rest but he managed to catch up with Hajime. (The power of long legs.)

As they left the town, Kei snuck a glance at the two trailing behind them. They were walking side by side, heads bowed as they softly talked amongst themselves. Kei didn't know what they were talking about and it ticked him the wrong way. He swiftly looked away.

"How are you so calm about this?" He hissed to Hajime.

Hajime glanced at him before continuing to look ahead. "Tadashi knows him, related to him even, surely that grants trust to our family. I'm sure Keishin would be glad to know that he was alive."

"Family isn't always to be trusted." The ‘You should know ‘ didn't need to be said. Hajime just gave him a warning look.

The rest of the walk mirrored earlier that morning, this time with the exception of quiet talk between Tadashi and Kenma.

As the house came into view, the talk ceased. Only Takeda was out the front and he quickly took notice of the extra companion. "I'll go get Keishin" was all he said with a soft smile and left to go inside.

It wasn't Keishin, but Tooru that came out next. He bounded over to Hajime, before his eyes targeted Kenma.

"Ooh, who's this?" He crooned.

As if by instinct, Tadashi stepped in front of Kenma. It managed to halt Tooru's movements, but not his words. He raised a brow at the motion. "Protective aren't you? Don't worry, I won't bite" his words were accompanied with a toothy grin.

"Tooru" Hajime warned but was interrupted by the front door opening. The group watched as Keishin stepped out of the house, as graceful as a newborn foal. When he noticed the new individual, familiarity shone in his eyes and he walked as quickly as he could without breaking into a jog towards them. Kei observed it was comparable to a waddle. Once he reached them, he immediately went straight for Kenma, engulfing him in a bear hug.

"Decided to show your face now, huh?" He asked. His words were choked with emotion. He continued to hold him, until there was a muffled whine coming from his chest.

"Keishin, I can't breathe." He continued to hold on. "You reek of smoke."

At last, he pulled away but continued to hold onto his shoulders. "They finally let you grow your hair out, huh?" Kenma looked down at the ground, but his lips twitched upwards. Keishin let go of him after that.

"Well, since we have a new member, and we just brought more food, how about a feast?" Keishin suggested.

Tooru cheered and rushed back to tell both Tetsurou and Takeda.

-

Tadashi was still processing the fact that he had Kenma back. He had told himself once that his brothers were gone and made sure to never think about it again, but now that Kenma had returned... Maybe it was worth considering his other brother was also alive, but the possibilities and theories that came with it were too mentally tiring to think about at that moment that he pushed that thought aside and focused on the fact that Kenma had just yawned for the third consecutive time.

"Do you want to go to bed?" Tadashi murmured to Kenma. They were seated in the lounge room (one of the rooms that was behind the closed door Tadashi hadn't investigated) surrounded by the others chattering and laughing.

Kenma nodded, head drooping. Tadashi looked up to signal to Keishin that he was taking Kenma up to his room but he was whispering drunkenly to Takeda who also had a flushed face. Holding back a smile, Tadashi slide an arm under Kenma's and lifted him off the very comfy couch.

He walked the two of them to the door, getting a couple glances as he walked past everyone else. Walking up the stairs was a task as Kenma struggled to stay awake. They eventually made it to their room.

The two of them were still both in their everyday clothes, Tadashi noticed. Withholding a sigh, he left Kenma on the bed and grabbed both of them two pairs of pyjamas. The clothes would be slightly too long for the smaller one, but Tadashi figured he wouldn't mind.

Kenma was on the brink of sleep when Tadashi turned back around. Tadashi had to coerce him into standing, except it was more leaning half his body weight against the taller one.

Kenma's shirt came off and before Tadashi slipped the softer shirt on, he noticed the burn mark. It was around twenty centimetres long, stretching from his left arm down to his spine in a jagged line. Tadashi didn’t bother asking where it was from. He could already guess where.

The two of them changed and curled up bed, Tadashi pulling the sheet over them. The window wasn't shut but the curtains weren't drawn, so the faint moonlight fell on their faces. Tadashi stared at Kenma, letting it settle in completely, that he was alive and well.

He reached out and brushed a stray hair off Kenma's cheek. It was charcoal black, juxtaposing his light skin, made even more pale by the moonlight. Tadashi remembered when it had been a warm yellow, reminiscent to the wild flowers that grew in the scarce soil patches in the mountains. It was shorter then. He also remembered the day Kenma refused a haircut, wanting to grow his hair long because it would help him focus. Everyone else had fussed and continued to pester him, but he was adamant about it so they left him alone. Now, it had just breached his shoulders.

He thought it suit him.

Tadashi could feel the pull of sleep as he watched Kenma, felt his rising chest each time he breathed, hear each exhale. It was a soothing and comforting rhythm, and he was quickly lulled to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter on time!  
> Kenma has finally been introduced! Hopefully I do him justice (b ᵔ▽ᵔ)b  
> Next one might be a little late, have to see how much i can get done.  
> I think by the next two chapters there will be real progression and the 'world travel' tag can be put to good use (◕‿◕✿)  
> Bye!!


	5. Showing off

Kenma preferred watching. It allowed him to conserve the most energy, but watching can tell you many things. Getting involved, especially as a stranger, can skew people’s reactions and change the outcome. Being a bystander, you can see how others react to those close to them and see what they truly are like. Of course, that’s only if they let their real selves be revealed. It allowed him to understand others easier. 

It allowed him to know who to stay away from and who was okay. 

So two days after the reunion, he had evaluated that everyone was fine to be around. To a certain extent. They all seemed to be observant to a certain level, understanding situations with ease. There was just the odd one who would act in a distasteful way.

It was an overcast day. The air was hot and humid, the kind that stuck your clothes to your skin, so dense that it weighed you down and spoiled milk when it was left out for just little over an hour. A horrible, sticky day just perfect for hand to hand combat. 

Keishin decided everyone should participate, no slacking off and limited use of abilities. The last point was aimed at Kei after the last time he kept everyone a metre away with robust gusts of wind. It didn’t help that Tetsurou decided to add fire into the whirlwind and left a neat scorch mark on the grass.

Everyone would pair up; Tetsurou and Hajime, Tooru and Kei, and for the sake of his injury, Tadashi and Kenma. The winner would be declared after one had been successfully pinned to the ground for at least five seconds. The exception made to Tadashi, instead one of them had to be knocked to the ground. Keishin knew that Kenma wouldn’t go for the direct hits, that isn’t not his style, so Tadashi’s cut wouldn’t open up again. 

Tetsurou and Hajime were up first. Hajime was the first to strike, going for the full body attack. Tetsurou easily dodged before he went for a swipe of his own. Hajime blocked before stepping back and circling the other. Tetsurou followed his example before attacking first this time. The rally continued, Hajime just shy of being burned twice, Keishin’s voice at the back pointing out direction and pointers on when to dodge and when to attack. 

It concluded with a tackle around the waist Tetsurou was too slow to move out the way for, ending with the wind knocked out of him and Hajime planted on top of him. 

When Tetsurou finally got up, he clapped Hajime on the back and went back to sit down with the others.

“Tetsurou,” Keishin called, “make sure you plan for your attacker’s moves instead of your own moves.” He received a salute in response. 

Kei and Tooru were up next. This time, instead of resorting to attacks, defence was high. Both preferring distance between themselves when fighting, it took a while for the first attack to strike. With the aid of Keishin complaining they were taking too long, Tooru took the first move. He went in for a punch, knowing it would be evaded, before pulling back and aiming for a kick to where Kei moved. That too was blocked and the distance grew once again. 

“Kei~, you can’t keep on the defensive forever.”

“Watch me.”

The challenge returned in Tooru’s eyes. The flick of a wrist and a branch came hurtling towards Kei. A whip-like sound and the branch snapped in two before it could reach its target. The second of surprise gave Oikawa all he needed to attack. He took a swipe at Kei’s legs, successfully kicking him off his feet. 

But Tooru wasn’t quick enough to pin him down. Kei managed to roll away before Tooru could grab any part of him. The tables turned and Kei pulled Tooru’s arm behind his back while he squirmed and trapped him there for three seconds.

“Good comeback” Keishin commented. 

Tooru shot a mock glare at Kei. Kei smirked and continued to hold him down a second longer than necessary. 

The last pair was up. Everyone couldn’t deny they were interested in how this would turn out, two new people with different styles and techniques from them. Keishin only vaguely remembered how they fought, only sitting in for a few training sessions before he decided that there was something unsettling about how they were taught. It would be exciting to see how they have progressed. 

The two of them positioned themselves, a few metres apart. Tadashi held himself taller, more sturdier, while Kenma was still his hunched self, though did spread his feet a bit further apart. Keishin clapped and it officially began.

Nothing happened for at least a minute, becoming a stare-down rather than a fight. Tooru was tempted to call out a taunt, but Kenma seemed to vanish. Just a blur, he managed to run up to Tadashi in under two seconds flat, leaving what looked like a trail of pink cloud. Tadashi stared at Kenma before twisting his body and throwing a punch behind him. 

There was an audible gasp from the onlookers as the what was an apparition disappeared and the real Kenma showed up behind Tadashi, stepping away to dodge the fist. 

Neither of the two opponents seemed surprised, continuing the match with matching blank faces  
.  
Tadashi went in for an attack, but sidestepped instead and grabbed Kenma’s arm instead. There was a soft glow of gold before Tadashi pulled away and Kenma was stuck to the ground by the arm, a root coiling around his wrist. He pulled at it but the restraint was strong and held on tight. Kenma couldn’t focus on it because Tadashi was already swinging. Kenma ducked before twisting around the root as if it were a pole, and shoved, hard, at Tadashi’s back. 

But it seemed like Tadashi was prepared for anything, because he grabbed Kenma’s arm and dragged him down with him. The root unlatched off of Kenma, his only safety harness gone and he plummeted to the ground, Tadashi on top. 

Tadashi rolled off Kenma, who groaned, before standing with a wince. He looked around, surprised at the lack of comments, only to find wide eyes and a few open mouths. 

No one said anything until a “that was impressive” broke the silence, Hajime flashing a toothy grin.

“Impressive? I could barely keep up what was happening!” Tooru squawked, mouth still agape. 

Kenma finally got up after catching his breath back, seeing the expressions for himself. He turned to Keishin, who had a pensive look on his face.

“You both have certainly progressed far” Keishin mused. Everyone stopped to look at him. “Both of you are in tune with each other, at a scary level no less. Might need to separate you next time. Now, practice with the dummies, max 2 on each. Tadashi, let me check your wound.” 

There was a collective “alright”, a few choice words following it from two of them.

Keishin moved towards Tadashi, watched his eyes widen before there was a hard shove at his back and he was sprawling in the grass. “What the fu- “he began to shout before he glanced at where he was standing just moments before. 

A black arrow was embedded into the grass, wisps of black haze coiling in the air around it. Keishin moved to grab it but a hand clasped around his shoulder. The arrow seemed to absorb the light around it, before crumbling to ash that disappeared with the wind. 

“What, was that?” Tetsurou broke the silence. 

Both Tadashi’s and Kenma’s faces were sickly pale, perpetually staring at the one spot in the grass. 

“Oh no” Kenma mutters. He gazed at his brother. “Tadashi?”

“We need to leave. Now.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello!  
> Been sick this week, as well as having multiple assignments due, so took a while to finish it.  
> I'll make the next chapter longer to compensate for this filler (^ω~)  
> If anyone wants to, I have a [tumblr](https://joom-jom.tumblr.com/) so message me about anything and everything.  
> See you next week! (≧▽≦)/


	6. Preparation

Everyone stared at Tadashi

"What do you mean 'leave'?"

"We need to get away from here. It's- we can't stay here. We have to go."

Tadashi pulled Kenma with him, marching back into the house. A beat of silence before everyone else followed them inside. Voices rose in confusion, overlapping one another.

"Why?"

"What was that- that arrow?"

"Where would we go?"

"Who was that?"

"We can't just leave this house, it's our home" Tooru called over the demands. It was what made Tadashi hesitate and turn to face the mob following him. His face was unreadable.

"We have probably just under a day until they come. And when they do, if we are still here, the house will be destroyed along with ourselves." Tadashi continued to stare, eyes wide, before he averted his gaze and continued to climb (limp) up the stairs, Kenma hot on his heels.

Tooru spun on his heel. "You're not making us leave our home, are you?"

Keishin didn't answer, watching Kenma and Tadashi climb the stairs. His eyes flickered to Tooru before he spun on his heel. "I'm going to talk to Takeda." A hand landed on his shoulder when he went to left the room.

"Answer me, Keishin. We are not going to leave, are we?"

He stood silent before shrugging the hand off and continuing to walk out.

Everyone waited, watching Tooru's shoulders tighten, tension wounding tighter and tighter, hands clenched so tight they were going pale. When he whirled around no one was surprised at his outburst.

"We are not leaving. I am not going to blindly follow a stranger who doesn't know what this place means to us. He can go cower, but I am going to stay and fight whoever is trying to take this home away from us. And you all are staying with me, right?"

"Shouldn't you try to find out how big of a problem this guy is? You saw how they fight, and if they're scared of them, how fucked would we be?" Kei spoke up, voice level and monotonous. He was leaning by the table, observing Tooru.

He leered at Kei, thinking of a response. "There were two of them. Now there's four of us, five counting Keishin, seven counting the two scared of this newcomer. The odds are certainly stacked against them."

"We don't know who they are, even if they are a who. Shouldn't we go up and ask what is actually happening instead of making assumptions and already making someone an enemy? Or, is that physically impossible for you?" Kei taunted, a smirk playing at the corner of his lips.

Tooru's mouth twitched, a smile far from friendly plastered on his face. "What about you? You seem especially keen on trusting them, even after it took a week for you to even talk to us when you arrived here. Is there something going on that we don't know about? Or are you so hell bent on trying to leave this house because you're a self-centred asshole who-"

"Tooru!" Hajime barked.

Tension was running high, testosterone fuelled words hanging in the air. Tooru and Kei stared each other down. Neither wanted to back down, and they weren't going to until Hajime decided to speak up.

"Keishin will be the one to decide" Tooru's glare switched to Hajime, "and whatever he says, goes. No arguments."

Tooru barged out the room. Hajime quickly followed after him. Tetsurou glanced at Kei, studying his face.

"What was all that about?" He asked not unkindly.

Kei gradually looked up to meet the other's gaze. "Doesn't really matter."

"Is there actually something goi-"

"We better pack in case Keishin decides we have to leave. I'll be upstairs if anyone asks."

Tetsurou pursed his lips as the footsteps up the stairs faded. He rubbed a hand down in his face, mulling over everything that had occurred. Time seemed to have moved faster than they could keep up and just laughed as it watched them struggle to understand everything. He didn't even know what he was feeling himself, whether they should leave or stay, fight or flee. He trusted Keishin to make the right decision, but whether it was right for all of them he wouldn't know.

-

"Kenma, where are we going to go?"

Kenma looked down at his lap, sitting cross-legged on the bed. He fiddled with his fingers. "Where they won't find us."

“They would search the ends of the world for us. It’s going to be hard to find a place like that.”

Tadashi waited for a response, knowing one will come soon enough. Kenma finally looked up.

"Ukai will know. He knows all about them, he can stop them."

"But he's so far-"

"They found us nearly two weeks later at a two day walk. Each day an extra week apart. It will be fine."

Tadashi breathed in. Thoughts whirled in his head as he considered the possibilities. It didn’t feel like that should add up, but it made perfect sense. Was there something they weren’t considering? Surely there were better solutions...

There was a shout downstairs, interrupting Tadashi's thoughts. Two heads looked at the door, waiting. Nothing else came.

There was a sigh from the younger one. Tadashi figured he should believe in Kenma, for when has he been wrong? "I trust you, then. Would you like me to tell Keishin?" He got a nod in response.

Tadashi left the room. Walking down the hallway, he passed Kei. He felt eyes on him but when he turned, Kei had already disappeared in his room. A few moments passed before he continued down the stairs.

In the dining room he was met with the sight of Tetsurou leaning against the table, wearing a troubled expression. At the sound of footsteps, he looked up, expression gone.

Tadashi nodded at him, receiving an incline in return. He found Tetsurou to be unnerving at certain times. The way he can flick between two moods, joking to serious, goofy to contemplating. The quick change was always a surprise for Tadashi, but he considered it might not be so for others.

Exiting the dining room and kitchen, he walked through the hallway and entered the room on the left. There, he hesitated as he raised a fist to the door. Hushed talk could be heard, words indecipherable. He wasn't sure whether now was a good choice to knock, not knowing if it was an important discussion. As indecision took over his mind, a door slammed and he startled. His hand hit the door and the whispers stopped. In a panic he knocked loud and hurried.

The door opened and Keishin stood in front of him. He quirked an eyebrow, “Yes?”

Tadashi opened and closed his mouth, before finally blurting out, “we should leave.”

Keishin’s other eyebrow rose. Tadashi quickly amended his sentence. “I mean, Kenma and I, or well really Kenma because he thought of it, think we should or suggested that we should go to, uh maybe not us all…” he continued to ramble before he blinked and looked straight at Keishin. “We should go to Ukai’s home.”

Keishin paused, processing his words. ”Ukai? But I’m-“ His eyes widened in realisation. He snapped his head behind him, where Takeda stood by the bedside. 

“Keishin? What is it?”

-

At the front of the house, Tooru threw the obsidian ball up. It rolled and twirled and coiled around itself as it flew through the air before being suspended just above him. It continued to twist and turn, shifting like a liquid. It stayed for a good couple of minutes before it exploded and crackled, shrapnel flying. They flew and came back to Tooru’s outstretched hand, returning to its original, spherical shape.

“Have you calmed down now?” Hajime asked from behind him. 

“How can we just leave this place?” Was what he received in response. “It was our home, it is our home. It’ s been that for, heck, five years now? And now we are just going to throw it all away?”

“It will still be our home. That’s not gonna change. We’re leaving because we are all in danger. Keishin offered his home to us. We’re indebted to him.”

Tooru turned to face Hajime. “I just don’t want to lose the people who actually accept me.” 

Hajime reached out and pulled Tooru in for a hug. “And you’re not going to.” ‘I’ll make sure of it’ was what he promised to himself.

-

Kei looked around the room, taking in all the possessions he had laid out on his bed. Granted, there wasn’t much but there was something special about them that made Kei keep them.

Glancing at the bag at the bottom of the bed, he knew he could only keep at maximum three of these items, after all the necessities. 

Withholding a sigh, he sorted them into piles of ‘No’, ‘Potentially’ and ‘Yes. There was a significant difference between ‘No’ and the other two. Next he tried ‘Too Big’ and ‘Fine’ for the ‘Potentially’ and ‘Yes’. That narrowed it down. He was left with five objects. Two books, one of children’s stories he was often read to before bed as a child, the other another story his family wrote for him, an inscribed knife made of precious metal with a gold and black handle, a pouch of the coins he has managed to save and a ring with an unknown language scribed on the inside. 

He picked up the knife, bringing it up to the light. It glinted under the sunlight. Grabbing the case, he sheathed it and attached it to his belt. He knew better to touch any part of the blade, as it could cut finely and deadly. With it on his belt, he still had space for three objects in his bag.

The coins were a good idea. Extra cash for when they were in trouble. It was better to be safe than sorry he reasoned, so he stuck that into the bag. 

One down, two more to go. 

The ring was a funny thing. He had never worn it, had never seen anyone wear it. It had been given to him in a box, which was now in the ‘No’ pile on his bed, and he was told that it would only work for him. He didn’t know why it was only him. Either way, he turned and searched through his drawer. He found the leather thong and returned back to the bed. He slid the ring down the leather and tied it around his neck, long enough to be hidden under his shirt. 

With that, he grabbed the two books and stashed them into his bag. The only two memories of home he had. No matter what Tooru said, or what he thought of himself, Kei was certainly a sentimental person.

He hoisted the bag onto his back and left the room for what would be the final time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just in time!  
> It's late for me right now, I'm so tired but i got this out! ٩(ˊ〇ˋ*)و ( ‾́ ◡ ‾́ )  
> Hope you enjoyed this chapter, next one should be same time if a little earlier.   
> Thank you for continuing to read this story!  
> [Tumblr](https://joom-jom.tumblr.com/)  
> [Twitter](https://twitter.com/jamtim123)  
> Bye Bye!


	7. The First Meeting

Kei left his bag by the dining table when he heard Keishin call for everybody. He followed the sounds of voices, leading him outside in the backyard. He was the last to join. 

They had made a brief semi-circle around Keishin, with Takeda a few steps behind him. Tooru and Hajime stood to the far left, the former trying hard to only look at Keishin. Tetsurou stood the closest to them, a good metre away, and he was much more casual looking, standing there with his arms crossed. Tadashi and Kenma were of course by each other, nearly opposite of Keishin. 

Kei stood a metre away next to Tadashi. 

“I’ve talked it over, and we have decided to move. Although, I’m sure you all already knew that.” Everyone continued to stay silent, waiting. “We’ll be travelling to the south coast. It could take from three, four weeks to two months of travelling, depending on the weather. Hopefully the gods will bless us with blue skies.”

Tooru suddenly stepped forward. “Why?” He asked. When he got a look asking for clarification, he continued. “Why are we travelling to the south coast. Surely, whatever we are running from will find us there. Is there even a point going there?”

“My grandfather lives there. He is ah, renowned for knowing about spirits and demons that are supposed to be long gone or dead.”

The new information slowly sunk in. 

“Anyway,” Keishin clapped his hands, quickly moving on. “All of you go pack your things. Necessities first. Everything else after. We don’t have much time. Off you go” he added on when everyone continued to look at him blankly. 

The six of them filed back into the house. Kei watched them trudge up the stairs, others more reluctant than others. He hoisted his bag onto his back, letting the weight ground him. It was final. They were leaving this house, for an indeterminable amount of time. 

Something just didn’t feel right though. Somehow unsettled him, deep in his stomach, with how conclusive it was. 

-

They all watched as Takeda locked the door, hearing the resounding click amongst the twittering of birds and the slight breeze. 

Everyone had bags on their backs, carrying what would be their life’s sentiments. Unsurprisingly Tadashi and Kenma had the least, their life possessions just ash in the wind. Takeda turned and smiled at them, tinted with slight sorrow. “Well, we better be off now, shouldn’t we? Got no time to waste after all.”

Keishin clapped his hands and all attention turned on him. “Off we go then.” And he set off towards the trail winding between the trees.

Kei knew it. He just knew something was going to go wrong. Of course it was, because life always loved rolling the dice and seeing how they would deal with the cards dealt to them.

Behind them, there was an ear piercing shriek. Everyone halted, two of them stumbling to the ground. They cried out as another one racked through their skulls. 

Tetsurou managed to look back, staring at the house. On the roof, there was a creature, its figure undefinable. He couldn’t tell if it was a creature, because a solid life form does not move in suck a sick way. 

He stared, and so did Tadashi and Tooru when the ringing in their ears stopped and they could turn around, as the creature seemed to ooze down the roof. From that distance, Tetsurou could make out some sort of mouth, yellowed, but sharp, teeth hanging out in all directions. 

He swallowed, trying to keep his stomach contents inside his stomach.

“Run. Everyone run. We need to leave. NOW” Tadashi rambled, voice increasing in pitch. 

Hajime and Kei finally got on their feet, and stared at Tadashi. No one processed his words. “Everybody RUN” he shouted, yanking Kenma’s arm and pulling him along as he ran through the forest. Finally, everyone heard his call and began to sprint away from the house.

No one looked back. 

Hearts pounded and adrenaline coursed through their veins, blood pumping in their ears. All too soon, something else joined in the mix. The rhythmic beat of something chasing after them.

Tetsurou looked back and oh god he really was going to be sick because that monster was on their tail and was closing in impossibly fast. It seemed Tadashi and both seen and heard that, and figured stopping was the most logical choice you dumb idiot-

“What do you think you are doing?” Kei yelled, and he was also stopping dammit. 

“Keep running!” Tetsurou desperately tried to say, but they didn’t move. Instead, it seemed to make everyone else slow and stop. 

“Everyone else go, I’ll take care of it” Tadashi commanded, eyes trained on the beast. 

“Are you crazy? You’re the one who told us we can’t defeat it, what are you thinking?” Kei reasoned.

“Go take Takeda and Keishin to the village, I’ll be fine.”

One blink and the creature was flying (flying) through the air, teeth and tongues lashing out. 

Tadashi moved quickly, a river of gold twining through the air and before the demon could strike a large root pierced the centre of it. An inhuman shriek shattered out its mouth, and vines whipped and coiled around it’s limbs, incapacitating it.

“Wha-“

“Leave now! It’s not dead!” Tadashi called standing back.

Everyone watched in horror as the mass liquidized, dripping off through the tangled mess of plant. It slowly reformed, clacking and hissing, taking a gruesome form.

“Keishin, we need to leave” Takeda grabbed his hand. Keishin glance between him, Tadashi and the beast, expression torn. 

Tadashi risked a glance back. “Don’t worry Keishin, I’lll be fine.”

Keishin looked at him before nodding. “I trust you.”

With that he squeezed Takeda’s hand and ran with him towards the village. 

Kenma dropped to his knees, slinging off his bag and rummaging through it. He pulled out a gladius. He threw it at Tadashi who caught it, eyes never leaving the beast. 

“If you think we can defeat it, why did we just leave the house?” Tooru demanded, eyes flashing.

“This is only one. Wait until there’s three or four. That’s when we run” Kenma replied. 

Tooru was about to reply when the creature leapt once again, this time aiming at Kenma. He leapt out the way and Tadashi lashed out, sword swinging. His aim was perfect, digging into the side and having its blood leaking out and on the sword and on the grass. An acrid smell filled the air.

“Distract it!” Tadashi called out. “It only focuses on one thing at a time. Don’t let it touch you though!”

Hajime leapt into action. Where there once was a human there was now a snarling wolf, his growls vibrating through the air. The vibrations caught the attention of the monster, and with a clack and whine it swivelled its head towards Hajime, locking onto its target. 

Tadashi followed a step behind. When the beast leapt at Hajime, Hajime moved to the side, returning to his human form and Tadashi quickly slashed its face before springing back. “I missed” Tadashi hissed. 

It yowled and screeched, teeth gnashing together as its own blood filled its mouth.

“What’s that on its head?” Tetsurou asked, staring at the glinting crystal. 

“It’s what you need to destroy” Kenma explained. 

Tetsurou thought quickly. “Kei, on the count of three, strike that gem or whatever it is.”

“With what?”

“The wind, what else do you have?”

Kei tsked, but otherwise nodded to show his understanding.

The beast was scrabbling its way towards Kenma again. Tadashi was getting ready. 

“One, two.” He counted. “THREE!” He shouted and the monster turned at the shout. 

A whip of air belted at the beast, but what Kei wasn’t expecting was it to ignite on fire, thanks to Tetsurou. It screeched and wailed, body striking on fire like a tree in a forest fire. The smell of burning rotten flesh stunk up the air. Everyone watched in horrid fascination as the beast seemed to burn to ash.

All that was left was a crystal in the grass, glinting in the light. Hajime moved to pick it up, noticing the cloudy haze swirling inside it, but Tooru pulled him back. “Don’t touch it.”

Hajime opened his mouth to question it but he noticed Tadashi stepping forward himself. He raised the dagger and brought it done on the crystal. It shattered and an echo of a scream resounded in everyone’s ears. The pieces were scattered in the grass, no longer a smoky grey colour.

Kenma stood by Tadashi, catching him as he stumbled back, He whispered softly to him. When he knew he could stand on his own, Kenma moved back, taking the dagger and returning it to his bag, hoisting it back on his back.

“We should continue to the village” Kenma murmured, gently pushing Tadashi along as they continued their journey. The others followed after them, a few steps behind to give them space,

“Why’d you pull me bsck?” Hajime asked Tooru as the silence hung heavy around them.

“I could sense something in that crystal.” Hajime waited for clarification. “It was… Dark magic. It wasn’t from this world.”

“I couldn’t touch it, but Tadashi could?”

“Tadashi’s different.”

“How?” Hajime pestered. Tooru just stared forward, and Hajime knew he wouldn’t get an answer. He sighed and continued focusing on walking to the village.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oops, sorry about the month long delay 人(_ _*)  
> There was a bit of major writer's block and a lot of deleting, but I managed to write something I'm happy with.  
> S Club 7 got me through most of it haha.  
> Anyway, theres some action in this chapter finally. It's so hard to write since you never know whether it's moving quick enough but i hope you enjoyed it.  
> Next one.... We'll have to see. I've mostly been trying to figure out how this story will pan out and backstories and arcs and all that. It's a long process.  
> [Tumblr](https://joom-jom.tumblr.com/)  
> [Twitter](https://twitter.com/jamtim123)

**Author's Note:**

> First work! (Un-Betaed)  
> Please leave a kudos and/or comment if you enjoyed, feedback always appreciated.  
> I will try to be consistent with updating!


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